Bayelsa didn’t collect N17b, says Dickson

Bayelsa State has denied receiving N17billon from an escrow account in the Federation Account as alleged by Rivers State.

The cash, according to Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, was kept in the account, pending the determination of the dispute over the Soku oil wells between the two states, but was “surreptitiously released to Bayelsa State”.

But Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson, at the inauguration of the 14-man state Boundaries Committee yesterday, denied the claim.

He said: “It is not true that Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) paid any amount of money to the government of Bayelsa State wrongly from an escrow account. That is wrong; that is not true. No N17bn was ever kept in any escrow account; no such money was ever paid to the Government of Bayelsa State.

“That is deliberate falsehood that has been put out there to create an impression of bias on the part of a hardworking, impartial federal agency that is doing its work. The truth, however is this:

“Last year, the government of Bayelsa State in the last administration made some claims against Rivers State on the account of revenue collection due Bayelsa in respect of some disputed wells.

“The government of Rivers State and its officials duly defended this claim and at the end of it there was a reconciliation of figures. At the end of the reconciliation, it was found and agreed upon by all parties, including officials of the Government of Rivers, that Rivers State government had wrongly collected the sum of N17bn that was due Bayelsa State.

“That was determined and found to be a fact at the reconciliation. Therefore, an agreement was reached by all parties, including the representatives of the Government of Rivers State for a refund to be made. Government of Rivers State also made a counter claim of wrongful payment of some other wells in its territory to Bayelsa State and other neighbouring states.

“The appropriate Federal agencies looked at these claims, heard from all the parties and found that as a fact that Rivers State government was entitled to refund of close of N15-N16bn again in defence, there was an agreement reached for refund, as a result of which all the states affected were made to refund that money. Refund was agreed upon to be made to Rivers State. Either all the states affected have paid or in the process of doing so. The government of Bayelsa State was made to pay about N2bn as refund to Rivers State based on that consensual understanding.

The government of Bayelsa State consequently after paying our refund to Rivers state got about N15.1bn. In line with our transparent regime in this state, we duly declared this earning to the people of Bayelsa State. As I am talking to you, this sum is safely kept in the account of the government of Bayelsa State and when the flood and rain subside, we shall direct it into putting back our critical infrastructure.

“It is mischievous for anybody to allege and create an impression that the sum of N17bn was ever kept in an escrow account and that a federal agency paid it out to Bayelsa State during the pendency of litigation. That is a lie that has been fed to the public to create the impression that the Federal agencies are biased.

“That is the procedure and that is why we are convinced that the issue of derivation is best left for states to handle and not communities but since my counterpart from Rivers State has made it a communal affair, I believe that he will help us to tell the people of Rivers State, particularly the people of Kalabari Kingdom, who he claimed to be fighting for that the basis of our recent claim is that the government of Rivers state in the past couple of years has wrongly received about N120bn that shouldn’t have been paid to Rivers State.

“I hope he will also tell the people of Rivers state, particularly the people of Kalabari, about the refund that was consensually agreed upon and effected in favour of Rivers state to the tune of about N15-N16bn which he got about a month ago. We feel that this matter are best left for states and other stakeholders at the Federal level to resolve in accordance with laid down rules.”

That is how u and your brother bad luck has been chopping our money..Animals in human skill.go ahead and collect all the oil wells in Nigeria but 2015 he will go back to his fishing net.idiot.

Opubo

Godwin, l am Kalabari, but l dislike your insult of Mr President. Traditionally, the Kalabari are fishermen like our Bayelsa brothers. Infact, all tribes in Nigeria are either farmers or fishermen depending on their geographical location. So what is wrong if the President or the Kalabariman goes back to his fishing net? The President has taken a responsible action so far by inviting the aggrieved parties to Aso Rock to set in motion amicable settlement. We are watching to see how it all ends. So don’t over-react like one Columbus Peterside or Reuben Abati. The President is not bad luck. His name is Goodluck. Agreed that the country has miriads of problems including corruption, but we cant lay all the blame at the feet of Mr President. We should pray for him to rule with the fear of God rather than being unduely influenced by the unpatriotic bigwigs at the corridors of power.

Austin

@Godwin, please learn how to respect your leaders so that God will not be angry with you.

Ola WIlliams

Respect is earned not given. Our leaders have to earn Godwin’s respect or God will punish them.

Godwin

Austin i believe u are not in Nigeria or u are rather one of the pdp boys….

Austin

@Godwin, i’m in Nigeria and don’t support most of the things that are going on in the country. The point is, we shouldn’t insult them because doing that will not change anything but rather we should pray for a better Nigeria which I believe we will get soon.

Bmagli

So glad the two states are not only pdp states, but in the niger delta as well.’ Gambari pa Fulani -ko si ejo mbe’. Lets see how ‘our son’ will handle this fight over ‘our oil’.